


After

by awanderingquill



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: And there are already settlements and stuff!, Canon Dialogue, F/M, People actually survive without the Sole Survivor!, Shock and awe!, Slight Canon Divergence, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-20
Updated: 2016-06-30
Packaged: 2018-06-03 10:12:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6606964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/awanderingquill/pseuds/awanderingquill
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Despite everything, Kate felt safe. Content, even. Once you'd survived the apocalypse, you could take anything in your stride, it seemed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've had ideas bubbling round my head for a while now, and playing in the new survival beta has really triggered my will to write out the story of Kate. I'm mainly uploading this for accountability? Criticism highly welcome. Anyway, hope you enjoy :)

Kate swallowed her anxiety and stepped past the metal grill onto the platform, closing it behind her. The elevator to the surface seemed to take an age, cogs and various mechanisms clanging noisily above her as they slowly revealed the world to her. She wiped her hands on her legs in order to maintain a better grip on her gun. Checked and double checked that safety was off.

Giant roaches might be waiting for her.

Or worse.

Her breath came quicker as she struggled to process events.

_Nate... dead. Shaun... Shaun..._

Her thoughts tripped as blinding light shone directly onto her and a cool breeze tickled her face. Raising her arm, she squinted as the elevator came to a halt, silent, broken only by her gasp when her vision cleared. She heard a far-away clang as she fell to her knees, barely registering the shooting pain.

The world before her was in ruin, leeched of both life and color; trees - if they could be called that - were bare, broken bones thrusting from the scorched earth, what grass there was nearby could hardly be called green. A shaking hand unsuccessfully contained her sobs.

 _Nonononono_!

Her breathing became quicker, erratic. The world swayed and she barely registered a voice and footsteps behind her as she succumbed to the darkness.

* * *

Kate awoke slowly to a dull hammering nearby. Grumbling about Nate's early morning DIY habits, she twisted and pulled the cover above her ears and stopped sharply. The cover felt odd - thin and scratchy. She peeled open her eyes and recoiled at her unfamiliar surroundings, her heart thumping rapidly against her ribcage as she sat abruptly upright, head spinning.

_Where am I?_

Her feet found the floor - wood, not carpet - and the flash of the color blue brought her swiftly back to reality. A gentle knock at the door startled her, but not nearly as much as the familiar voice that followed.

"Mum? Miss Johnson?"

Before she realised she was moving she had flung the door open, mouth agape and tears freely flowing as she greeted her visitor. A small sliver of hope cracked her voice as she spoke.

"Codsworth, it's really you?"

* * *

"General, she's awake."

"Thanks Terry, I'll go see how she's doing."Preston started in the direction of the shack they'd put the newcomer up in, one of several that were nestled around the few pre-war houses that still stood defiant, if less proudly than they used to.

They had arrived in Sanctuary just over a month ago, led by Mama Murphy's "Sight". They had been desperate at the time, numbers dwindling rapidly until they hit Concord.

It was there that their group had met another, the partnership cautious at first until raiders had pinned them in at the Museum of Freedom, leading them to hurriedly work together to escape their dire situation. If it wasn't for the discovery of the rusted suit of power armor upon the roof and the lock picking skills of one of the other group's members, they might never have made it.

It had all worked out though, and Sanctuary was slowly coming together; they had a water purifier and were even starting to get new settlers turn up every now and then. Preston felt good about their prospects; the word that Minutemen were determined to earn way back into good graces was slowly getting out with each nearby farm and settlement they helped. Even a caravan from Starlight had started to show up, encouraged by the news of another large settlement in the northern reaches of the area.

But this...this he wasn't sure what to make of.

Everyone knew about vaults and the often crazy stories that accompanied them - there was even a vault near Diamond City that occasionally admitted traders.

But vault dwellers were born in the vaults, it made no sense that somebody from before the war could have survived - it had been over 200 years!

Then Marcy had radioed back from patrol for help carrying an unconscious woman in a vault suit back for medical attention, well, there she was, looking like she’d stepped straight out of a pre-war video or poster - too clean and put-together for the wasteland.

The Mr Handy, Codsworth - who had been the only inhabitant when they arrived - had been overly emotional for a robot - yammering on about how "Mr and Mrs Johnson" had left in such a hurry and worrying over the location of her husband and baby. Concerned that there might be more people in need of help, he and a few others - Paul and Jun - had made their way into the vault whilst Marcy and Mama Murphy tended to the woman's wounds.

The search was unsuccessful; to their growing dismay they discovered the nature of the vault. It soon became clear that there were no other survivors, and no sign of a baby anywhere.

Preston wasn't sure whether that was a good or bad sign.

Only two of the cryo containers were open, once which they had assumed with hers and the other, opposite, containing what the terminal had revealed was her husband. He had been shot in the chest, the frost preserving the bright red wound. Out of pity, perhaps, Paul had closed the container before they left wordlessly.

Now, however, he knew he had to ask her some tough questions and possibly reveal some tougher truths. The woman had been holding a gun when Marcy came across her, so it was entirely possible that she had shot her husband herself, but he had doubted it.

He felt awful for thinking so, but part of him hoped that she already knew that her baby was missing before he told her; he wasn't sure he could break that sort of news to someone.

Holding his breath, he knocked twice and entered the shack.


	2. Recovery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, firstly huge apologies for it nearly being 2 months since I put up the first chapter. Ouch. I had exams and other things going on, but I didn't stop writing - it just came out more as bits and pieces and it's only now really worked into chapter form.  
> (Chapter titles are hard!)
> 
> I also want to say I've tweaked distances and things a little - I live in the UK so I'm mostly going off a mishmash of Google Maps and game map/walking timings. I'm putting Sanctuary about 1.5 - 2 hours' walking distance from Concord - it seemed strange that the place hadn't really been used since the war if it was only around 20 mins away. I don't know.
> 
> This is a real exercise in patience for me, I really enjoy writing but of course want to improve, so I'm happy for any and all feedback! 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

For the first few weeks, life on the surface consisted of being kept confined in one of the shacks by the clinic (or, as Kate knew it, the Rosebery's house) under the pretense of having some minor disease. With Marcy's begrudging assistance, they had found her a suitable change of clothes. She'd surrendered the vault suit immediately, but only let them look at the Pipboy after having Codsworth come and promise that she would have it returned. The truth about her origins was known only to a few at first, but word quickly spread amongst the other settlers. "Damn it, Marcy," Preston had muttered at the news. Kate had refused medical attention at first, insisting she was fine through the shaking and troubled sleep. _You know who isn't fine? Shaun - my. Missing. Baby!_ she had wanted to scream. By the end of the fourth day, though, even Codsworth's patience was starting to flicker. On the fifth day their doctor, Amy, was brought to her.

 

Kate considered herself open-minded, but all of the preparation in the world couldn't have prepared her for Amy: she was a ghoul. At first, they spoke through the closed door, Preston hovering by Kate to gauge her reaction. Besides the scratchy voice, she couldn't really picture Amy and was starting to get anxious.

 

"Can we just get this over with? I need to get out of this room," she rubbed her brow and swayed slightly, Preston's hand holding her upper arm to keep her steady.

 

She heard a murmuring through the door and the latch open as a tall, blonde figure came in.

 

"Holy shit! What-what-" Kate's hand had shot to her hip, meeting nothing but air. Staggering back, she bumped into Preston. To her credit, the doctor barely reacted except to purse her lips. After a minute or so, Amystepped slowly over to place her bag down on the drawers at the end of the bed, rummaging through it and placing a few items to the side.

 

"Hey, Kate. I'm Amy, a doctor, or what passes as one nowadays," pocked cheeks wrinkled as she smiled, "You're goin' through a lot right now but all I wanna do is help. You got some mild radiation poisoning by the looks of it, so if you're good...?"

 

Kate nodded slowly and Preston's grip lessened. _He wasn't just holding me up, he was holding me back,_ she thought. There was a scratching noise and a low whine at the door before it opened enough to let a dog in. The german shepherd let out a happy bark as Amy crouched down to him, ruffling his ears. The animal was seemingly indifferent to her condition. He wriggled away and came over to where Kate and Preston stood, cocking his head as he looked up at her. After apparently evaluating her, he let out a bark and turned back to Amy.

 

Preston released his grip completely and cleared his throat, coming round in front of Kate. His hand rested on her arm, comforting this time.

 

"I'd better go, Dogmeat and Amy will take care of you though, okay?"

 

She nodded again before moving to sit on the bed with her back against the headboard, Dogmeat jumping up and curling at her side. Her hand rested on his back, automatically playing with his fur. _Smart dog._  

 

"Okay," she said after a few moments, "I think I'm okay now"

 

Amy exhaled in relief and nodded to Preston as he left. They - mostly Amy - talked as she went through a basic health checkup, ensuring to move slowly and explain everything she was doing. As it turned out, the doctor was a  _pre-war_ ghoul, one of the few people who could somewhat relate to Kate's situation, but with the advantage (if it could be called that) of two centuries to come to terms with it. 

 

"It's been a real drag, and it's definitely not easy livin' these days, but I came to terms with that a long time ago. It weren't easy back then either though, huh? We just tried to pretend like it was," she muttered solemnly.

 

"And then the bombs."

 

"And then the bombs," the blonde agreed, pausing. "It's best that folks don't know where you're really from - worst case they'll think you're a synth," she sniffed with distaste, "and at best they'll likely think you're an easy target."

 

Kate went to ask what a "synth" was when Amy hung a bright orange IV bag on the headboard beside her.

 

"This here is RadAway," she explained, "it's a lil different to back in the day but it works," she shrugged, preparing the needle and a length of bandage, "now this is gonna sting a bit - okay, prob'ly a lot - and you'll feel real tired and weird for a while, but I'm giving you a lower dose to try help your body get used to it."

 

Dogmeat shifted so his head was across her leg as she inhaled sharply, the liquid feeling thick and tingly as it made its way through her body.

 

  
_This world sucks._ She didn't realise she'd said it aloud until Amy laughed beside her.

 

* * *

 

The fire crackled invitingly as Kate stepped through the door, brushing the snow off of her boots. She'd stopped grimacing each time she entered one of the old houses now, and accepted that she was going to have to make the best of it. It had been nearly 4 weeks since she'd been let out of 'care' (which towards the end involved more whiskey than she'd ever seen in a real hospital - "one of the perks," Amy had said, winking) and she'd thrown herself into keeping busy. A week ago it had begun to snow, and Kate gladly helped collect firewood from around the neighbourhood. If the fifty-or-so house estate had felt small before, it felt huge now - the fourteen settlers were situated in the first group of houses near the bridge, thankfully a fair distance away from her old home. She couldn't go there, not yet. Codsworth had offered to go with her when she was ready, to which she had nodded and downed a shot of bourbon.

 

"Got 4 more logs for you tonight," she called through, hefting the wood beside the fireplace as Dogmeat ran up to it and settled in the warm glow. The dog had stuck loyally by her side since she'd been introduced to the community, for which she was grateful.

 

"Thanks K! We got a little something for you as well," Colin's voice became clearer as she traced the path through to the makeshift workroom that was tacked onto the back of the house. Colin looked up with a big grin from the bench as she entered the room. Gasping, she moved over to the bench and reached out for the Pipboy that lay on it, strapping it on over her coat and flicking the switch, exclaiming when it whirred into life and settled on the menu. She'd knocked it on something a week previously and had been in a foul mood without her music - it was one of the few things that kept her sane.

 

"Oh, Colin, thank you!" she threw her arms around him, sniffing back tears.

 

"Hey, he didn't do it all himself, what with the whole one-arm business," came a voice from behind her. Kate straightened up and turned to see Hayleigh, Colin's sister, standing at the doorway expectantly. The siblings were both tall and had the same dirty blond curls - the same curls as Nate. Kate had done a double-take when she saw Colin for the first time and had nearly choked on her breakfast. Luckily the resemblance faded when he turned around to see what the noise was. She internally cringed when she remembered her first words to him: _"You look a bit like my dead husband,"_ she had blurted. Mortifying. 

 

"Thank you - both of you - this means so much."

 

"Yeah, well, it's been boring putting up with your grumpy ass," Hayleigh stated, holding up some beer bottles, "now how about we go sit where it's warm? Big adventure for you tomorrow."

 

  
_Like I can forget,_  thought Kate as they flopped down by the fire, _Concord._  


 

* * *

 

"Now you be good, Dogmeat. I'll be fine," promised Kate as she double-checked her pistol, throwing emergency supplies and a few other things into her pack. It was only a short trip to Concord, but with the snow growing steadily it would take close to 2 and a half hours each way. It was risky, but necessary. She, Preston and Paul were making the trip to scavenge for food as well as to test the range of Sturges' new boosted radio beacon. It was doubtful that anyone else would turn up at Sanctuary in this weather; there hadn't even been any raids, much to Kate's relief. They set off early, tired but determined to be back by mid-afternoon - they were to scour the north-western outskirts as far as Concord river before making their way back. After several hours of carefully scouring the dilapidated and tired old homes, they had amassed a satisfactory haul of food, clothing and a good-condition HAM radio. With full packs and stomachs they started to head back, taking a detour to a location that Preston had marked on her Pipboy.

 

"Not bad for a day," Paul said, breath billowing out of his newly-found scarf as they wandered down by the river. Kate hadn't seen much wildlife beyond a few radhares and was studying the water eagerly, trying to catch glimpses of the shapes that moved lazily beneath the cloudy ice. The Pipboy started bleeping as they came closer to some old barrels. Giving them a wide berth, she looked down at the device and wiped the snowflakes off the screen.

 

"Should be about 10 metres from here," she said, Preston nodding.

 

"I think I can see it," he agreed, stomping ahead to a large shape partially hidden beneath some fallen branches. Paul gave him a hand to shift them and the three of them stood back, looking at the now-revealed statue, still standing defiantly all these years later.

 

"It's a memorial for the Minutemen," explained Preston softly, "it's good to remember where we came from, what we strive to uphold." Paul nodded, joining him in a salute. 

 

"Kate, I want you to consider joining the Minutemen," Preston's voice was quiet, but it pounded in her skull as she turned and frowned at him.

 

"Preston, you know after winter's over I'm-" he held up a hand in peace, cutting her off.

 

"I'm not asking you to stay, just to join. There are still a few of us dotted around and I intend to spread the word that we're working together again, that those of us who are left can be trusted again after Quincy," he winced and her frown softened as she recalled what he'd told her of the events there, "Come with me, Kate. Maybe someone out there can help you find your son."

 

  
_Damn it._ He had her cornered and he knew it.

 

"DROP THE BAGS!"

 

They spun around, weapons ready and aiming at the 3 figures who'd come up behind them. They were armed with makeshift - but no less deadly - weapons. Kate's heart thumped hard. One machete, two pistols. Scared, desperate. Her mind went into overdrive as she heard both sides yelling at each other, words blurring in her mind as she cocked her gun, eyes locked on the bloody-eyed man with a machete. His nostrils were flaring and his eyes kept darting between hers and her gun. _Drugs_.

 

"Put the weapons down," she stated, automatic, "nobody needs to get hurt here"

 

A shot rang out from her left and she heard Paul cry out. Her eyes flickered to him and she inhaled sharply. Seeing his chance, the man with the machete darted forwards. Almost too late, Kate shot him in the chest. Like her voice, it was automatic, instinctual. His momentum carried him forwards and he fell into Kate, knocking her to the ground. She heard the electric thrums of Preston's laser musket as it took down the other two. She gagged at the smell of the man laying on top of her and unceremoniously shoved him off, scrambling to her feet. She looked around, gun ready, but nobody else came running. Paul was groaning from the ground as he fetched his dropped gun. Preston carefully helped him up.

 

"It's just a scratch, Pres, I knocked my knee on the way down though," he motioned at the tear in his jeans, "seems they got the worst of it though," he said, nodding at the bodies before them. He wasted no time in stripping them of their guns, Kate watching curiously as he gently closed their eyes after he'd finished looting their meager valuables.

 

"Habit," he shrugged, not quite meeting her eye, "You learn quickly though. Nice shot."

 

"It's not my first," she retorted, looking away from the body, "I was a police officer before the war"

 

"Weren't police meant to protect people?" asked Preston as they resumed their journey.

 

"We did. For as long as we could," she deadpanned, "sometimes that involved making difficult decisions."

 

"Ah."

 

 

They continued in silence for the rest of the journey. As Sanctuary materialised in the snow ahead, Paul went ahead, eager to get back into the warm. Kate touched Preston's arm gently, stopping him and clearing her throat. She looked uncomfortable.

 

"I accept."

 


	3. Starlight - Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After months of forced patience, Kate finally leaves Sanctuary in search of Shaun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was getting pretty long and I haven't posted in a few weeks so I wanted to send a sign to say I'm still here!
> 
> Don't worry - there'll be some real action in the next Chapter.
> 
> On a side note, I feel like my writing's gotten better already? May just be hopeful thinking! As always, please feel free to leave feedback!

The end of the year came around swiftly. Christmas and New Year's celebrations were still a thing, Kate found out, though a little more passionate, more _raw_. These days people celebrated the the 'joy' of having survived another year. They mourned those who had left them with those that hadn't, hoping against hope that wherever they were, it was better. Because how could it _not_  be? For most, it was an excuse to drink themselves blind; some things never changed.

 

Kate had felt awful when Hayleigh passed her a customised pipe rifle; she'd completely forgotten about Christmas, her mind for the most part jumping between the task at hand and wondering how the hell she was going to find Shaun. She ran her fingers over the smooth wooden stock. Her father had often taken her hunting before it was outlawed, at which point she started to shoot competitively, so she'd almost jumped at the chance to do it again with Hayleigh. Unbeknown to her, radstags could be much more aggressive than deer. The first time they went hunting she'd collected an impressive gash on her calf - she'd barely managed to scurry up into a tree when her quarry had run flat-out at her. Hayleigh had nearly wet herself laughing as Kate squealed in protest, clutching her leg in shock as she watched the other woman shoot and down the stag with practised ease from her own perch.

"They are  _not_ like deer," was all she had to say when they got back to Sanctuary, dragging the haul behind them. Hayleigh, of course, had told everyone as soon as she got the chance, and by the time Amy had stitched her up the whole settlement knew. 

Come New Year's Eve, the settlers of Sanctuary - which now totaled 19 thanks to the new radio beacon - convened in the tavern. In reality, the tavern was a glorified multi-story shack built on one of the better foundations of a ruined house, but if you looked past the threadbare rugs and occasional hole in the joins between the walls and ceilings it was a welcoming place. Sturges and Colin had done a great job of partly renovating the cluster of buildings they currently used, and were excitedly scrawling plans down in the corner. Kate was sceptical about their plans for extending the cellars that a few of the houses had, but if anyone could manage it, it was them. 

The fire was roaring and laughter _almost_ drowned out the sound of the radstorm that was building outside. Despite having grown a lot more accustomed to the radiation in her relatively short time outside the vault, radstorms usually rendered her bed-bound and hooked up to an IV bag for a few days. She grumbled and silenced the incessant bleeping of the Pipboy, resolving to only drink a few beers, pissed that even New Years was spoiled for her.

"She was like a fucking squirrel, if squirrels yelled 'Fuck off!' at whatever was chasing them," Hayleigh's voice greeted her as she entered the building. _Ah, new people._ She stuck her finger up at the blonde, who laughed even harder and continued with a _really_  bad impression of her. She hadn't flailed _quite_  that much, had she? Limping over to the bar she greeted Tina, new resident barkeep, who had readied a beer for her with a friendly "Hey, doll".

"You seem really well stocked tonight," she glanced over the colourful collection of bottles that crowded the shelves behind the counter, "did a caravan manage to get through?" Caravans were the main source of news, and she made a point to get to know the people involved. Not that it was hard: with the increasingly harsh weather most of the traders stuck to the shorter routes, and with there not being any safe rest points between Sanctuary and Starlight, traffic was minimal. Brahmin-driven carts were used in the warmer months but other vehicles were extremely limited and only used in 'emergencies', she'd learned - the days of just driving down to the city and back were long gone. 

"Sorry, no - some of the guys found a cellar with a _pretty_  good variety. Someone had taste back in the day,"

"Different strokes, I guess," shrugged Kate, smiling when she felt the cold bottle. _One good thing about winter._ Tina cocked an eyebrow at her but said nothing.

A hand slapped her on the shoulder as Terry slid himself onto the stool beside her. He and Tina had found Sanctuary around the same time as her, full of enthusiasm for starting a farm in the playing field come spring-time. Terry was the louder of the two with a knack for cheering people up, and she was glad he'd gotten back from negotiating with one of the local farming settlements in time to celebrate.

"Hey, Terry, how's it going?"

"Heeeey squirrel," he drawled.

"Fuck off," she smiled into her beer despite herself. She shifted round to lean against the bar, looking sideways at Tina and raising an eyebrow in question, "I'm assuming this means he still hasn't told _you know who_?" she fake-whispered.

"You would be correct," Tina stated, smiling sweetly at the reddening man.

"I'm going to, I just...haven't. Yet." he spluttered, motioning to Tina for another drink. She sighed and placed another beer in front of him before grabbing one for herself.

"That's your third, you're not getting any more until you do it."

"Aww Tina..."

"No." She sidled up the bar to get drinks for some of the newcomers. Kate inhaled deeply, taking a sip. Her head was already starting to ache. _Fucking storms._

"Helloooo?"

She blinked, looking at Terry. He smiled knowingly at her, then when he saw that she was actually listening this time he repeated himself, scratching the label off his bottle.

"I asked how long you were going for? Pres didn't really answer," his tone was casual, but his face was held carefully. She shrugged, eyes watching blankly as he pulled a long strip off the bottle and placed it on a pile on the counter beside him. She chewed the inside of her cheek before answering.

"I might not be back for ...a while. If at all," she admitted, "Carla said the ...Supermutants? have moved on so it's safe to get to Starlight now,"  _Relatively speaking,_ she added mentally. She shrugged and took another swig of drink, "from what I hear it's the best shot I've got of finding Shaun without needing to trek down to Boston - sorry - Diamond City"

"We still call it Boston sometimes, you know," he chided quietly. He stopped peeling the sticker and placed it carefully on the bar, adjusting himself so he was facing her square on. He ran a hand across his stumbled chin and scrunched his nose, trying to work out what words to say. Kate took a deep breath and faced him, steeling herself. She placed her bottle next to his and let him take her hands in his larger, rougher ones. Hers were a lot smoother despite having picked up a few callouses here and there, something which fascinated Tina. She set her lips as Terry spoke.

"We're all just worried you won't like what you find, or don't find," he began carefully, "closure isn't really something that happens a lot out here. And you said it yourself: you don't know when it actually happened," he dropped his voice low and leaned in, glancing over at where the newcomers were sitting, "you were in there for _over 200 years._ The fact that you're here is a miracle, the chances of two..." He trailed off, rubbing circles into the back of her hand. She pulled away firmly, tears threatening to spill over as she hissed under her breath.

"I wouldn't call my being here a miracle, Terry. I'm gonna find my boy and I'm gonna bring him home," her voice quavered slightly.

"If anyone can it's you, squirrel, just..." He sighed. "Just don't lose yourself, okay?"

The rest of the evening went far better than the conversation with Terry, and Kate actually found she was enjoying herself despite the lump in her throat and the dull, persistent headache that unsurprisingly didn't ease up with alcohol. She was vaguely aware that she'd had more than the few she had planned on but hell, it was New Year's! It wouldn't be right without regretting her alcohol intake the day after - surviving the apocalypse was cause for celebration, right? Smiling to herself as she made her way back to her shack she breathed in the cool post-rain air. If she shut her eyes she could almost pretend she was back home, whispers of another New Year's conjured up in her mind - _"To best friends!" . Speaking of best friends..._ Dogmeat stirred in his sleep as she shut the door quietly behind her. He'd become a permanent fixture in her new home, despite the lures of warmer hearths in the renovated prewar homes. She'd awkwardly declined the offer - kind as it was, she still couldn't bring herself to actually _live_  in one. 

Yawning, she went through the motions of her modified bedtime routine: secure boards across the windows, draw the curtains, stoke the fire, clean her pistol and set it by the bed. Unfortunately the last one wasn't a new addition. Moving into the small bathroom she exhaled in annoyance as she saw the toothpaste jar was empty - she'd have to remember to grab more before she left. A spike of anxiety shot through her at the thought. She'd been here 3 months already and besides from short trips to neighbouring farms and the odd excursion to Concord, she hadn't left Sanctuary. Starlight City was maybe 4 hours away on a good day with fair weather and no diversions. If they were lucky nothing new had settled between the two points; Kate had yet to meet a super mutant or a ghoul - both apparently possible encounters on the way - but the (hopefully exaggerated) descriptions sounded horrifying and she'd barely slept for fear afterwards, her usual nightmares infused with yet more fodder.

She washed the grime of the day from her face and gazed into the small mirror she'd collected on a recent trip, frowning at the familiar stranger. She wasn't sure that Shaun would even recognise her, she thought sadly. Her blue-steel eyes were harder and had darker bags now, and her nose was still slightly wonky from the time she'd arrested a particularly spirited rioter. The long dark chestnut hair that would ordinarily be pinned back in a wavy half-up style was now hanging limply in a plait over her shoulder, much more practical for this life. _Maybe I should cut it,_ she mused as she brushed it and re-plaited it for bed. At least she definitely looked the part now, she muttered as she preened over a couple of newly gained scars and blemishes. Her mind wandered back to the morning the bombs fell.

  
_"Nate, oh_ husband, _you're taking your sweet-ass time," she called through on her way to the bathroom, emphasising the word 'husband' as she was apt to do when they were alone. It was still weird. Nathan was stroking his face and applying aftershave, wincing as it stung where the razor had caught him a little. His hands were so much more steady after a year out of the forces, she noticed. He smiled back at her but it didn't quite reach his eyes. She leaned against the wall and cocked her head at him in question._

_"Katie, did we do the right thing?" he turned and leaned against the sink, hands rubbing his temples._

_"Which 'thing' are you referring to?" she replied, sliding the door to so that Codsworth, their new Mr Handy, didn't overhear, "We've talked about this god knows how many times..."_

_He emptied the sink, throwing the facecloth into the laundry basket and let Kate draw him into a hug. "I know. I just worry that someone'll find out. As weird as the whole thing is, I think we can be happy here."_

  
_"Nate, nobody's gonna care with everything else that's going on. We got a great deal on the house, I'm not losing it because we-" Crying from Shaun's room interrupted her, "I'll go, Codsworth!" she called out as she let go of Nate, sliding the door open and pausing as she left the room, smiling sweetly at him,_ _"Besides, don't you have a speech to prepare for?"_

_He exhaled and stuck a few fingers up at her at her retreating form, turning back to the mirror and clearing his throat._

_"War, war never changes."_

* * *

Starlight City: 'The northern star of the Commonwealth'. Kate had almost rolled her eyes when she first heard the tagline. It could have been straight out of one of the travel magazines that she was used to seeing strewn across coffee tables at the salon or stacked on shelves at the local SuperDuper Mart. It was on par with Diamond City's 'The great green jewel of the Commonwealth'. Even after the almost total destruction of the human race, battles between egos continued on, just that now instead of comparing the sizes of their rockets or genitals they compared kill counts and ...well, still their genitals, actually.

The name of this "northern star" came from the outdoor cinema "Starlight Drive-In" which now served as the core foundation of the sprawling settlement. Founded some 5 years previously, it had quickly grown both upwards and outwards, and was now tentatively called home to around 1000 settlers at any one time, with more visiting or passing through each month. People that weren't invested in farming tended to be more transient: moving where they could flog their goods or services or migrating to wherever seemed safer at the time. Starlight's hobbled together walls, though proud enough, didn't convey the same easy reassurance as the protective green arms of Diamond City.

But it did have a horde of robots protecting it, which evened the odds.

The figureheads of Starlight were husband and wife team Linus and Inira Sol. Word was that they were previously part of a mercenary outfit somewhere to the west, and had fled east after a job went awry and ended in the death of the rest of their unit. Linus' negotiating skills paired with their shared weaponry training earned them a decent living protecting caravans, but after a nasty encounter with a group of mirelurks (yet another creature Kate hadn't had the pleasure of seeing), Inira lost her left leg and was confined to Diamond City. It was there that she discovered her knack for robotics, bartering for components and building or repairing various appliances and automatrons whilst Linus continued the escort side of things, hiring others to assist. She eventually made herself a prosthetic leg fashioned from a suit of old power armour that allowed her to make trips around the city to expand her services. Their businesses grew and they made fast friends with various traders and other locals. It seemed they'd found a home.

Then, in 2282 the new mayor decided to expel all ghouls from Diamond City, a controversial decision at best. Inira was furious when she heard the news from her ghoul friends and offered them a safe place to lay low whilst they worked out where to go. One group had gone further East into Boston, led by the mayor's own brother; another north, far away from the erupting prejudice. Linus and his crew were equally as angry when several other members had been barred entry upon return to the city, and he had returned home with the aim to convince his wife that they should leave - only to find her packing their belongings onto a large prototype brahmin-esque robot that her friends had helped her finish whilst they hid out. An hour later they left with another small group of unhappy people and also made their way north, eventually finding and settling at Starlight.

Kate actually gasped as Starlight came into view, and had a coughing fit as the cold hit the back of her throat. It had begun snowing again after they'd passed Concord, but the large neon signs fixed to the old cinema screen cut brightly through the flurry: 'STARLIGHT CITY', they winked, 'EVERYONE WELCOME'. Large shapes plastered with various glowing signs clustered together against the snow over an impressively large area. She no longer doubted the claims of its relatively large population. Preston exhaled in relief at the sight, his breath billowing through his scarf and the ache in his feet momentarily forgotten. He smiled encouragingly at Kate who stood beside him, eyes wide with surprise as she took in the city's perimeter. Dogmeat, who had once again attached himself to Kate, jumped joyfully into the snow drift against the wall, barking. "We have to walk round that way," Preston pointed with his musket, trudging forwards closer to the wall. They made their way round to the main gate, by which time their feet were so cold they could hardly feel them anymore. Visibility was now limited to about 5 meters so the two sentrybots on guard made them both jump a little, the red lights assessing them for threats as they made their way inside.

A large matching wood-and-steel building jutted out from the wall just inside the entrance to function as a welcome center, neon letters fixed above the doors and smoke rising from a chimney before being whipped away in the wind. Kate glanced around and could see similar signs dotted around in the distance at varying levels but the snow still obscured most of the shapes as it blew over the top of the walls. Being inside the city lessened the effects of the snowstorm at ground level, but they hurried inside, eager to get warm. Inside another pair of travellers were talking to a young man stood behind a desk, apparently disagreeing over something. Preston and Kate shuffled over to the fire to wait, almost groaning at the comfort it provided. They both holstered their weapons and took their gloves off, fingers aching at the temperature. Dogmeat was also grateful, rolling on the floor so his belly faced the flames.

Kate took a moment to quickly add the location to the map on her Pipboy, flicking through the marker choices until she found one in the shape of a star. Fitting. She'd been gradually adding locations to it as she visited them, so far having marked several notable areas around Sanctuary and Concord already. Its secondary purpose was to form a list of places she'd looked for Shaun, or news of him.

The other travellers finished at the desk and headed towards the door, talking between themselves. They were both men and wore a matching uniform of sorts underneath thick overcoats. Large rucksacks, sagging with the signs of being constantly used, were strapped to their backs, as were two matching laser rifles. Kate locked eyes with one of them and could see the weariness in them. She looked away quickly as he looked the three of them and mumbled to his companion as they left the building, Preston frowning after them.

"What are _they_  doing here?" he mumbled to himself. Kate looked at him quizzically but he just shook his head in annoyance.

"Can I help?" called the man at the desk. They shuffled away from the fire reluctantly - except Dogmeat who quite understandably huffed and didn't move. The man smiled over at the dog as he finished typing on a slightly battered terminal. He was short with an athletic build and a mousy-brown boyish haircut, his hair falling into his eyes slightly as he munched on a snack cake. Kate salivated a little at the sight of the cake. She had  _loved_  those things when she'd been pregnant with Shaun. To the point where some days they were all she'd eat. He finished his bite and smiled up at them, "Name's Matt, I can tell you about Starlight or just point you in the direction you need. First things first, though," he motioned at a sign behind him that displayed a gun with a cross through it, "All weapons must be holstered at all times when in public areas, unless the attack sirens are going off or a sign states otherwise. This is enforced by the city guard and... well, you know. Don't be stupid." He shrugged and leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms above his head.

"My name's Preston Garvey, General of the Minutemen, and this is Kate, also with the Minutemen," said Preston, "We want to arrange a meeting with Linus - I sent a letter down with a caravan just before New Years," he added, getting straight to the point. His main goal for the visit was to negotiate setting up an outpost for the Minutemen - the location was ideal for access to multiple settlements in the northern regions and he already had their unofficial support after helping one of the original settlers on a previous visit. When Kate had asked if the headquarters were going to remain in Sanctuary, he smiled and replied with "Oh, I have a much better idea in mind," but left it at that, promising that he'd show her when he thought it was actually a viable option. At the moment, though, he was eager to get to warm lodgings and finally take off his boots.

Matt nodded, pushing the hair back out of his eyes and whistled, summoning an eyebot from an adjoining room to record and pass on the message. Preston repeated his message to the thrumming robot, which beeped in confirmation and floated back through the door. _Clever_ , thought Kate, _Sturges would love one of those._  Tapping a few buttons on the terminal, Matt gave them the options for lodgings. "There's some rooms free at Agatha's motel just off the main marketplace, or there's possibly space at the Tower by the arena. I haven't had an update from them today, though, so it might be full now," he shrugged, "otherwise the place is fully booked - there's a deathclaw match in a few weeks," he said by way of explanation. Kate smiled politely, unsure of how to react, and Preston let out a low whistle which Dogmeat took as a signal to come over. Preston laughed shortly and ruffled the dog's head.

"That ought to be something," he agreed, "We'll go to Agatha's, thanks."

"Alright, head out, go left down the main way and it'll be on your left, behind the clinic. Clinic has a big red cross on it, shouldn't miss it even in the snow."

"Thanks," Preston repeated and they begrudgingly made their way back out into the cold. They hurried to the motel, passing few others besides a couple of protectrons on the way; everyone else who was sensible was already indoors. Agatha's motel was actually run by a woman named Hannah, who coincidentally was friends with somebody whom Preston had helped out before, so she gave them a reduced rate on their rooms. Preston booked two rooms for a month - "Just in case" - and they gratefully departed to change into dry clothes, Dogmeat standing impatiently by the unlit fire as Kate shrugged off her coat and hung it on the back of the door.

"Alright, Dogmeat, hold on," she laughed, kicking her boots and socks off and moaning in relief as she wiggled her toes. She limped over to the fire, glad to see a provided box of firewood and tinder to the side. Her fingers were still quite numb but within a few minutes she'd gotten a small fire going and Dogmeat had situated himself in front of it. She quickly stripped and threw her wet clothes over the back of a chair, facing it towards the heat. Quickly dressing, she unpacked the few belongings she'd brought with her - a few more bits of clothing, some food and a homemade medical pack - and sat on the floor by the fire as she ate a snack cake and drank some much-needed water. An hour or so later there was a knocking at the door, waking both her and Dogmeat from their dozing state. 

"Hey, it's me," came Preston's voice. She jumped up and opened the door wide, inviting him in. He'd changed into similarly casual clothes, with the addition of a blue Minutemen bandanna proudly around his neck. "Linus has agreed to meet us tomorrow afternoon, I wasn't expecting something so soon but I'm hoping it's a good sign," he leaned on the windowsill and wiped the condensation from the murky glass in an attempt to see out, "The snow's already calming, I think."

"Who were those men at the welcome center earlier?" Kate asked, "You seemed pretty annoyed, have you met them before?"

Preston stiffened and exhaled through his nose. "If they're who I think they are, then they're a bunch of guys who think they're better than everyone else, and from what I've heard you're either with them or against them." He sighed and turned around to look at her, "But there's no point getting distracted; we've got _our_ priorities straight and that's what matters. We're here for the Minutemen, and for Shaun. But first, how about we rest up and then go get some food?"

Kate's stomach rumbled in agreement and they both laughed, the depressing tone lifted. She lay back on the bed and fished out the rings that hung on a small cord around her neck, smiling to herself. _I'm coming, Shaun. I'll find you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yup, next time expect actioooooon. And perhaps a particular meeting.
> 
> Ad Victoriam.


End file.
